Staple.



Patented Apr. 30,-l90l.

4w. H. MnnEHousE. 'ST'PLE.

(Application led Sept'. 12, 1 900.)

UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MOREHOUSE, OF WASCO, OREGON.

STAPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,216, dated April 30, 1901.

Application iled September 12, 1900. Serial No. 29,822. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MORE- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wasco, in the county of Sherman and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Staple, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a staple adapted particularly for use in wire fencing which will hold in the wood more securely than staples heretofore produced.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of the invention, while the claim defines the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the staple applied to a post to hold a fence-wire. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the staple. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.

44 is a side view showing the staple driven into the wood, and Fig. 5 is a View of the staple in blank form before it is bent into shape.

The staple is formed of a blank of flat metal, as illustrated in Fig. 5, such blank of metal being elongated and comprising an unbroken middle portion a, which is bent to form the eye of the staple, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4. The end portions of the staple are each formed with a slit b therein, which slits are disposed longitudinally of the staple and which form two prongs o at each end of the staple. These prongs are beveled at their inner sides, as indicated at d in Fig. 5, and the bevels d at one end of the staple are more abrupt than at the other end. The blank, as

shown in Fig. 5, is then bent at the middle portion a to assume the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and when it is desired to use the staple it is driven into the wood in the ordinary manner. The bevels d at the ends of the prongs c will cause the prongs to spread apart and assume the relative positions indicated in Fig. 4. The bevels d being out of uniformity cause theprongs c to spread unequally at each side of the staple, which has the eect of further securing the staple.

Now it Will be observed that by having the prongs c and causing them to be spread when driven home, as shown in Fig. 4, the staple cannot be readily displaced, but will hold securely in the wood until drawn out by a force sufciently great to press the prongs back into the position shown in Fig. l or to tear away the wood which holds the staple.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A staple having a middle portion forming Athe eye thereof, and the end portions of the staple being split to form two prongs for each end portion, the prongs having their inner faces formed with bevels at the points to spread the prongs when the staple is driven into the body to which it is applied, such bevels being of different pitch so as to spread the prongs to diverse degrees.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. MOREHOUSE.

Witnesses:

C. J. BRIGHT, HENRY KRAUSE. A 

